• Check out the relaunch of our general collection, with classic designs and new ones by our very own Pissog!

Other Good Cores

Status
Not open for further replies.
I have a really old school core. Charizard/Mega Blastoise/Venusaur. This is for a Sun team by the way. Charizard breaks walls with Specs plus Solar Power, Blastoise beats Spinblockers and Spin to it's heart's content, and Venusaur Sweeps. It's also cool because it's all the starters.
 
I have a really old school core. Charizard/Mega Blastoise/Venusaur. This is for a Sun team by the way. Charizard breaks walls with Specs plus Solar Power, Blastoise beats Spinblockers and Spin to it's heart's content, and Venusaur Sweeps. It's also cool because it's all the starters.
Why not use CharY and regular Blastoise to spin? CharY and Venusaur are a natural pairing.
 
485.gif
003f.gif
479-wash.gif

I've been using this ass a F-W-G core and it works very well together. Heatran can easily switch out to Mega Venusaur to take and fighting moves and Rotom for any ground moves. With Thick Fat and added bulk, Mega Venusaur shrugs off fire and ice-type moves and to be even more careful switching into either Rotom or Heatran works as they resists both types. Heatran can endure any Psychic moves and Flying as well and Rotom also easily handles Flying. With Heatran and Mega Venusaur, Rotom isn't worrying about an incoming grass attacks and about mold breaker EQs isn't a problem as Venusaur's bulk let's it eat EQs.

Heatran (F) @ Leftovers
Trait: Flash Fire
EVs: 252 HP / 8 Def / 248 SDef
Calm Nature (+SDef, -Atk)
- Toxic
- Lava Plume
- Roar
- Protect

Venusaur (F) @ Venusaurite
Trait: Chlorophyll
EVs: 252 HP / 144 Def / 112 SDef
Bold Nature (+Def, -Atk)
- Synthesis
- Sleep Powder
- Sludge Bomb
- Giga Drain

Rotom (Rotom-W) @ Leftovers
Trait: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP / 20 Def / 236 SDef
Calm Nature (+SDef, -Atk)
- Volt Switch
- Pain Split
- Hydro Pump
- Will-O-Wisp
 
What would be a good teamate(or good teammates) for this Special Biased Mega Lucario?

Goldog (Lucario) (M) @ Lucarionite
Ability: Inner Focus
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 252 Spd / 252 SAtk / 4 SDef
Timid Nature
- Dark Pulse
- Aura Sphere
- Nasty Plot
- Psychic


Aura Sphere is on there because it's an amazing STAB move, plus that Adaptability boost. Dark Pulse as it covers Psychic types and Ghost types as Mega Luc's Special Defense is low and Ghost is immune to it's stab move. Nasty Plot as it's a boosting move, and Psychic because Fighting-types are a huge weakness. The EV spread assures it will outspeed many threats to it, such as Aegislash and Heatran. Oh ya, and Timid over Modest for dat speed boost, hitting an amazing 355 Speed.
 
flash cannon > psychic, steadfast > inner focus (not that significant), 4 def > 4 spdef (not that significant) rotom w and aegislash handles all of his checks/counters
 
Is Flash Cannon really even necessary?

Fighting+Ghost is perfect neutral coverage. You could just run Aura Sphere, Vacuum Wave for the priority, and Shadow Ball.
 
Flash Cannon provides the power necessary to KO most Fighting-resists, mainly Flying-types and Fairy-types. Dark Pulse / Shadow Ball should stay since it covers Aegislash which resists Lucario's STABs (Dark Pulse can flinch, while Shadow Ball can drop SDef); Psychic is really only for Tentacruel (which can be overwhelmed by enough Nasty Plots) as most Fighting-types crumble to either STAB anyway.
 
here's the core i've been using

709.png
248.png


I shall call it: TrevTar. These two match-up so well together it's not even funny. They resist each others weaknesses excecpt for Ice (for Trev) and Steel (for TTar) but guess which pokemon resist those two moves? Water and Steel types, so adding a third pokemon to this core is no problem at all. But these two go even further with offensive synergy. Especially for Trev, who loves passive damage, for example, with Curse, Wisp, and Leech Seed, he can deal 49% in one turn right there, add another 6% thanks to sand stream, and you got 55%, in one turn, just from passive damage. That's a 2HKO and you didn't even attack. Leech Seed helps with mega tar's lack of healing and mega tar also deals with a lot of trev's counters. They're bulky and annoying and it's awesome. Using a Lum Berry/Rest/Harvest on Trevenant allows him to take those will-o-wisps aimed at ttar. It's an awesome core and cause of the typing, you can switch between the two almost at will. Use them together, it's so much fun.
 
Especially for Trev, who loves passive damage, for example, with Curse, Wisp, and Leech Seed, he can deal 49% in one turn right there, add another 6% thanks to sand stream, and you got 55%, in one turn, just from passive damage. That's a 2HKO and you didn't even attack.

Except that it requires several turns for set up and one of the moves deals 50% at once to you to do 25% each turn to the enemy who can just switch out. That form of stalling is not very useful as your curse user will likely die very quickly.
 
Here's an offensive core I've been using to support a Mega Gyarados sweep. I think Greninja's outlived its purpose and I'd like advice on how to improve it on either side.

479-h.png

Rotom (Rotom-H) @ Choice Scarf
Trait: Levitate
EVs: 252 SAtk / 4 SDef / 252 Spd
Modest Nature (+SAtk, -Atk)
- Volt Switch
- Will-O-Wisp
- Thunder Wave
- Overheat

This guy is a lovely little anti-meta lead. It catches all of the Greninja leads off-guard and OHKOs them with Volt Switch. It one-shots Ferrothorn and non-scarf Excadrill. Klefki leads die without accomplishing much. You can burn TTar and Mamo leads as they set up Stealth Rock, because both of those pokes when burned become set up fodder for Gyarados. If there's a fast Mega that's too threatening, you can shoot off a T-Wave and neutralize the threat. But, of course, Volt Switch is the #1 option for strong, fast damage.


130-m.png

Gyarados (M) @ Gyaradosite
Trait: Moxie
EVs: 40 HP / 252 Atk / 216 Spd
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Dragon Dance
- Ice Fang
- Waterfall
- Earthquake

At the center we have (my favorite poke of all time) the sweeper of the core that the other two are supporting by zipping around and weakening/eliminating counters. Rotom-H also sponges T-Waves and WoWs. As for weaknesses, what weaknesses? T-bolt incoming, just hit the Mega Evo button, tank the hit and DD. With the near-perfect coverage, it's very very easy to DD and get at least one Moxie boost before going Mega. He doesn't really switch out. Mold Breaker EQ generally seals the deal.

658.png

Greninja (M) @ Life Orb
Trait: Protean
EVs: 88 Atk / 168 SAtk / 252 Spd
Naive Nature (+Spd, -SDef)
- Hydro Pump
- Ice Beam
- Shadow Sneak
- U-turn

And on the other side, we've got the second part of the VoltTurn combo to wreak havoc. It's really all about Protean Ice Beam, taking out those Trevenants, Gourgeists, and all the dragons that Gyarados doesn't always want to face. Full special attack with Dark Pulse works too, but to be honest that Shadow Sneak has a shocking amount of utility especially in a core that otherwise lacks priority. He OHKOs so, so many threats and outspeeds almost the entire unboosted meta; he nails bulky Grass-types for Gyarados and always maintains offensive momentum.

- x -

It needs a spinner/defogger, for sure, but otherwise Rotom-H and Greninja work wonders in opening up a sweep for Mega Gyarados. The only pokes that are notably difficult to deal with are Scarf Genesect and Mega Venusaur (even Mega Blastoise gets worn down pretty easily with the VoltTurn). If Rotom-H cripples a key threat like TTar, it makes Gyarados' set up even easier.

Anyways, let me know if there are better options with Gyarados! I've always wanted to try Gyarados + Lucario but haven't figured out how to work it yet.
 
Last edited:
Why not use CharY and regular Blastoise to spin? CharY and Venusaur are a natural pairing.

Solar Power is a free Specs, plus I run Specs on him with a Modest nature. With Solar Power and Specs, he has a 1 in 3 chance to kill Dragonite with HP Ice, and 2HKOs Blissey and Chansey. This is in Sun, of course. In Sun, he is the strongest Charizard. Also Mega Blastoise has Mega Launcher Dark Pulse for Ghosts, which Donphan had so much trouble with, which is why I changed it. Before this, I used Mega Venusaur.
 
Except that it requires several turns for set up and one of the moves deals 50% at once to you to do 25% each turn to the enemy who can just switch out. That form of stalling is not very useful as your curse user will likely die very quickly.

it's just an option he can do and one of trev's most viable sets, remember he can do sitrus berry with harvest, but i personally use lum harvest with leech seed/will-o-wisp/rest/wood hammer and combined with ttar it's great, my trev is set up to take physical attacks while ttar takes the special ones, they're seriously good

also, i highly doubt anyone will let you set up that entire thing but it's still the threat of it as trev is really freaking good at stalling and ttar is the best compliment of it (with access to SR, sand, awesome bulk, and high powered moves)
 
Here's an offensive core I've been using to support a Mega Gyarados sweep. I think Greninja's outlived its purpose and I'd like advice on how to improve it on either side.

Your entire core is weak to Rotom-W, which has to be one of the most common pokemon right now. I've seen plenty of Rotom-W with Hydro Pump / Thunderbolt, which will put a massive pain in your core.

I suggest replacing Greninja with Trevenant. Ghost / Grass is basically the perfect defensive complement to Gyarados's Water/Dark. Ghost provides the Fighting-Resist you need, and Grass protects you from Grass and Electric Attacks. Gyarados switches in on Ghost, Fire, and Dark attacks otherwise aimed at Trevenant

Similarly, Trevenant works well with Rotom-H, switching into Water attacks, while Rotom-H can switch into Fire, Ice, or Flying attacks directed at Trevenant. And when those opposing Mold Breaker Excadrills come knocking at your door... Trevenant can easily switch into Mold Breaker Earthquakes that would otherwise WREAK Rotom-H.
 
Your entire core is weak to Rotom-W, which has to be one of the most common pokemon right now. I've seen plenty of Rotom-W with Hydro Pump / Thunderbolt, which will put a massive pain in your core.

I suggest replacing Greninja with Trevenant. Ghost / Grass is basically the perfect defensive complement to Gyarados's Water/Dark. Ghost provides the Fighting-Resist you need, and Grass protects you from Grass and Electric Attacks. Gyarados switches in on Ghost, Fire, and Dark attacks otherwise aimed at Trevenant

Similarly, Trevenant works well with Rotom-H, switching into Water attacks, while Rotom-H can switch into Fire, Ice, or Flying attacks directed at Trevenant. And when those opposing Mold Breaker Excadrills come knocking at your door... Trevenant can easily switch into Mold Breaker Earthquakes that would otherwise WREAK Rotom-H.
Mega Gyarados has Mold Breaker EQ and can outspeed, so he should be ok as long as he doesn't switch into a WoW.
 
Mega Gyarados has Mold Breaker EQ and can outspeed, so he should be ok as long as he doesn't switch into a WoW.
Switching into Will-o-Wisp is the least of your worries, because Thunderbolt would kill unevolved Gyara dead, while +0 Earthquake won't OHKO defensive Rotom-W either.
 
0 SpA Rotom-W Volt Switch vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Gyarados: 316-376 (80.2 - 95.4%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
0 SpA Rotom-W Volt Switch vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Mega Gyarados: 126-150 (31.9 - 38%) -- 94.4% chance to 3HKO

Gyarados doesn't want to be switching into a Volt Switch, a Will o Wisp, a Thunderbolt, or Thunder Wave. Hell, outside of Trick and Hydropump, Gyarados doesn't like taking aNY of Rotom's most common attacks.

Even in Mega Form, having Rotom deal 30% damage on a `mon with no recovery (and is even lacking Leftovers), while simultaneously pinning Gyarados with the "perfect counter"... will put your team in a horrible, horrible position.
 
Last edited:
Of course not switch in, that's suicide. He can get a +1 if Rotom switches into him though and could be fine there. Depends who is in first but yes, he by no means counters Rotom. It's just capable in the right circumstances.
 
Hello, I'm new to smogon, and competitive battling in general. I've just made an account to share a bulky offensive core I've been playing with.


181-m.png


Ampharos-Mega @ Ampharosite
Ability: Mold Breaker
EVs: 40 HP / 252 SAtk / 216 Spd
Timid Nature
- Agility
- Thunderbolt
- Focus Blast
- Dragon Pulse

With this EV spread, MAmpharos outspeeds base 130s (which have max. speed investment) after a Agility, which it can easily acquire after switching in on a *0.25 resisted Electric move aimed at Skarmory, Togekiss or Azumarill. It resists both the STABs of Talonflame, and hence cannot be easily revenge killed by priority. OHKO's non-specially defensive Excadrill on the switch with Focus Blast (please don't miss!), dents Ground type pokemon with Dragon Pulse and switches out to Azumarill. Earthquake is laughed off by Skarmory and Togekiss whereas Azu and Blissey eat up Ice moves. Easily checks both Talonflame and Rotom-W, which are common as of now. Mold Breaker allows it to bypass Multiscale and OHKO Dragonite with Dragon Pulse (after Agility, of course).

184.png


Azumarill @ Choice Band
Ability: Huge Power
EVs: 164 HP / 252 Atk / 92 Spd
Adamant Nature
- Superpower
- Play Rough
- Waterfall
- Aqua Jet

Standard Azumarill Choice Band set. EV spread allows me to outspeed Tyranitar. Azumarill loves to switch in on Ice moves aimed at MAmpharos or Togekiss and dent anything on switch in by its good set of moves. Aqua Jet on Choice Band set seems counter-productive but it helps me revenge-kill weakened pokemon which don't resist it. Its main role is to switch-in, dent, and switch out.

468.png


Togekiss @ Leftovers
Ability: Serene Grace
EVs: 252 SAtk / 4 SDef / 252 Spd
Timid Nature
- Roost
- Nasty Plot
- Air Slash
- Dazzling Gleam

Togekiss is a great pokemon and can play much better roles than being a paraflincher. Roost allows me to be healthy, Nasty Plot gives enough power to severely dent things with Air Slash and Dazzling Gleam. I'm looking to swap Aura Sphere in place of Roost, just to give more coverage. I'm not sure about the EV spread, 252 Spd seems unnecessary but it's been doing well.

This is my denting core which weakens my opponent's team after which I attempt a late game sweep with DD Dragonite. Rest of my team comprises of Rocky Helmet Skarmory (it's amazing how many pokemon kill themselves by trying to kill it, whilst I spam Roost), and Blissey, which are my walls. Skarmory also phazes out set-up sweepers.

I'm very open to suggestions as I'm new and would like all the help I get.
 
Last edited:
Your entire core is weak to Rotom-W, which has to be one of the most common pokemon right now. I've seen plenty of Rotom-W with Hydro Pump / Thunderbolt, which will put a massive pain in your core.

Mm that is a good point. As Jaroda said I've been able to handle most Rotom-W with Gyarados 1v1, and I've always used a bulky Celebi as a surefire stop to all Rotom-W as well. But now with all the Genesects about, Celebi is becoming more of a liability than an asset. I'll try out Trevenant, thanks.

EDIT: I'm wondering if a more offensive Grass-type, like LO Technician Breloom (<3) wouldn't serve the purpose?
 
Last edited:
Mm that is a good point. As Jaroda said I've been able to handle most Rotom-W with Gyarados 1v1, and I've always used a bulky Celebi as a surefire stop to all Rotom-W as well. But now with all the Genesects about, Celebi is becoming more of a liability than an asset. I'll try out Trevenant, thanks.

EDIT: I'm wondering if a more offensive Grass-type, like LO Technician Breloom (<3) wouldn't serve the purpose?


Rotom-W is a problem because of that utility... Will-o-Wisp will cut Technician Breloom's attack stat in half, utterly crippling it. Maybe Poison Heal Breloom would be useful, because after turn1 it is basically immune to status... but those sets tend to be "stally" instead of offensive.

A solid Rotom-W counter needs to be able to deal with the status somehow. In the case of Trevenant, your "status absorber" options are Natural Cure + Rest or Lum Berry + Harvest. Blissey is of course, the standard Special Wall + Status Sponge. Bonus points to Aromatherapy, which allows your team to play a bit riskier against Will o Wisp. Roserade seems like a surprisingly decent switch-in for your core... although its defenses leave much to be desired (for MGyarados, it switches into all weaknesses except Bug... Grass, Electric, Fighting, and Fairy attacks). Still, it does the job of KOing Rotom-W who stay in with any number of powerful grass attacks.

And finally, you probably already know this, but Celebi also serves as a good counter.
 
Last edited:
A stally core I've been using is:

Sableye @ Leftovers
Ability: Prankster
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 Spd
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Taunt
- Will-O-Wisp
- Recover
- Foul Play

Klefki @ Leftovers
Ability: Prankster
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SDef
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Foul Play
- Swagger
- Substitute
- Thunder Wave

Rotom-Heat @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Modest Nature
- Overheat
- Volt Switch
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- Trick

Noivern @ Choice Specs
Ability: Infiltrator
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Timid Nature
- Draco Meteor
- Flamethrower
- Focus Blast
- Switcheroo

The synergy here is for fairy moves directed at Sableye you can switch into Klefki, and for physical moves aimed at Klefki you can switch into Sableye (to an extent). Neither pokemon like fire types (Klefki gets killed by then, Sableye can't burn them - though Sableye can usually take out Talonflame between its own recoil and Foul Play) and so that's where Rotom-Heat and Noivern come in, also covering Klefki's ground weakness. Rotom-Heat can hit the fire type that causes me the most trouble - Charizard-Y - for decent damage and switch into Noivern to finish it off, whereas Noivern can hit its sibling X with Draco Meteor. Both can also deal with Mega Mawile, another mon that causes this set difficulty.

When not up against fire pokemon, both Noivern and Rotom-Heat can swap their items onto Clerics or Sub users (Noivern going so far as to be able to swap an item through the sub, or even better hit through the sub when a KO seems likely). When Klefki eventually dies (though I have swept with it) Sableye can pick up its slack, finishing off the paralysed attack boosted pokemon with its own Foul Play and then hopefully starting its own reign of stall. The biggest threat to this set is Rotom-W, particularly the Chesto Rest variants, but otherwise it works pretty darn well.
 
With the amount of switches that core could potentially force, I feel you could slot in Spikes on Klefki somewhere. I really doubt you need all those 4 moves on Klefki for it to still function well.
 
Well Spikes could replace Foul Play, but Foul Play works into the pokemon much better by finishing off offensive threats quickly once safely behind a substitute. Besides Own Tempo pokemon would wall it completely if you remove Foul Play, as it stands I've only really noticed Chancey completely walling this Klefki because of its beyond horrendous attack.
 
Last edited:
Solar Power is a free Specs, plus I run Specs on him with a Modest nature. With Solar Power and Specs, he has a 1 in 3 chance to kill Dragonite with HP Ice, and 2HKOs Blissey and Chansey. This is in Sun, of course. In Sun, he is the strongest Charizard. Also Mega Blastoise has Mega Launcher Dark Pulse for Ghosts, which Donphan had so much trouble with, which is why I changed it. Before this, I used Mega Venusaur.
Regular charizard sucks bro; just trust us and use mega charizard y. Power isn't everything (plus i'm pretty sure charizard y is stronger)
 
No way. Regular Charizard is amazing. Solar Power dude. Power is everything to me. If I wanted another Sun Setter I'd use Y, but Y doesn't have a 1 in 3 chance of killing Dragonite with HP Ice through Multiscale. Y doesn't have the power to 2HKO Blissey and Chansey with a special attack. The only thing that sucks about Regular is the reverse leftovers thanks to Solar Power, and the nasty Stealth Rock Weakness. But man, for what you're getting in terms of power, it's well worth it.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top